Bill Proposes $687.5 Million for Clean Water State Revolving Fund Program; 50% Cut in Three Years

The House Appropriations Committee is expected to act this Wednesday on the Fiscal Year 2007 (FY2007) budget proposal for the U.S. EPA. The bill before the committee proposes $687.5 million for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund program. That represents a 50% cut in the program over the past three years, from $1.35 billion in FY2004 to $687.5 million in FY2007. Funding for the Drinking Water SRF would be $841.5 million, a 1% increase over the FY2006 level.

Water & Wastewater Equipment Manufacturers Association, Inc. (WWEMA) has encouraged the industry to contact members of the House Appropriations Committee to object to this funding cut. The following website lists the members of the full Appropriations Committee:

Dawn Kristof, president of WWEMA conveyed the following message: “The House Appropriations Committee must restore funding for the EPA Clean Water State Revolving Fund program to its previous level of $1.35 billion to prevent a nationwide crisis and begin to refurbish the nation’s deteriorating wastewater infrastructure. With wastewater needs documented by EPA of $181 billion, now is the time to increase funding, not propose a phase out of one of the most successful infrastructure financing programs ever!”